Online Learning

Part 1

Read Between the Lines

Make a judgment about the site's reliability based on your own analysis of the site's and information it contains. Here are some ways to do this.

·        Look for facts you know or can check with a trusted source. If the site gets those facts right, it’s more likely that the other facts on the site are also accurate.

·        Study the language used, is it angry, satiric or overly impassioned? This may indicate that the site is biased.

·        Consider whether arguments are logical and backed up by evidence and whether the site presents only one point of view.

·        Check links to the sources that the author acknowledges. Scholarly writing, whether in print or online, should include a bibliography.

It's Online, but Is It On Target?

Part 1

Using the Web Wisely

Thanks to the Web, information is easy to find. However, it's also easy to post something online. Anyone can do it.

You've probably used the Internet to do research on a paper, to help you which product to buy, or to form an opinion about current events. Looking up information online is fast and convenient. But when you do online research, its important to find sites you can trust.

Many websites claim to be facts, but are full of errors. Others present information in a biased way - they only give one side on an argument. How can you tell a reliable source from an unreliable one? Also, it is critical that you post online only that which is decent and appropriate, never anything pornographic, vulgar, indecent, out of taste, untruthful, or obscene. Post those things that will make a good name for you and your organization, that will promote goodwill and be of benefit to the world.